Brazil Workers Walk Out; Wrestler Suspended; FIVB Calendar

Workers Walk out of Manaus

Following the death of a construction worker Saturday, 1,800 construction workers walked off the job in Manaus, Brazil in protest Monday.

The stoppage was first reported by the G1 Internet Portal.

Workers said they were pressured to speed up construction, ensuring the project would be completed in a timely manner. Government officials in the Amazonas State Government have denied such allegations.

Sunday a judge ruled that any work requiring construction workers high off the ground were to remain halted pending an investigation.

Three laborers in Brazil have died in the past month building stadia for the World Cup.

World Champion Suspended

Iranian wrestler Amir Aziz Ali Akbari faces a lifetime ban after testing positive for a second doping offense Saturday.

Akbari won the 120 kg class at the 2013 Wrestling World Championships in Budapest in September. His medal has been stripped by FILA. Heiki Nabi of Estonia, who won silver in Budapest, has assumed Akbari’s gold.

"We are serious about making our sport drug-free and protecting those athletes who are abiding by the rules," FILA president Nenad Lalovic said in a statement.

Akbari was suspended during the London 2012 Olympics for a previous drug offense.

"It has not been a problem for us in the past and we want to continue that pattern in our sport."

FIVB Sets Calendar

The International Volleyball Federation’s executive board announced volleyball’s competition calendar through 2017.

Dates for the 2014 World Championships, 2016 Olympic Qualification, and annual Club World Championships were set, along with other yearly competitions such as the FIVB World League.

The full calendar can be found here.

Written byAaron Bauer

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